Male Students Can Now File Sexual Harassment Complaints Against Women, Men And Transgenders In India

There are certain laws in India that are favorable towards women of our country and are biased against the men. But times are changing, at least at the university level.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has established some new regulations that will allow the male students to file cases of sexual harassment against men, women, and even transgenders.

The act which is named as the UGC’s Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment has come out with many regulations and it has made sexual harassment gender-neutral, mentioning that it’s not only women and transgenders who are vulnerable to sexual harassment, the Telegraph reported.

Also, the regulations that need to implemented demands immediate and significant action against gender-based violence against employees and students of all sexes inside the university campus. A UGC official told the newspaper that they had noticed instances of male students being harassed as early as 2007 when 2 male students filed a complaint against a Ramjas College teacher.

Many male students have been harassed over a period of time but no serious action against them was taken in order to provide them justice in the matter. The cases against male students are always turned down as false and no serious measures were taken to looked into the matter but with the new regulations coming up, the biases can be seen getting shrunken
Lawyer Brinda Grover noted the lack of corresponding legislation at the national level that recognises sexual harassment against male students, and it could set an important precedent.

“It is good to encourage a gender-neutral law that will help both the genders to report molestation cases,” she said.

According to the reports, if any University and college do not follow the regulations can face serious funds cuts and other actions.

All complaint will be considered within a probe in 90 days, followed by action within 30 days of receiving the report/complaint. Guilty students can be debarred from the college, while employees and teacher face severe action as per the service rules.